Oyama claims c’ship

MIYAZAKI – Overnight leader Shiho Oyama hung on to win the Japan LPGA Tour Championship by four strokes Sunday, while Yuri Fudo finished second to clinch the money title for the sixth consecutive year.

Oyama shot a 1-under-par 71 in the final round for a 72-hole total of 5-under 283 at Miyazaki Country Club, claiming her third career title and second this year on the Japan LPGA tour.

Fudo finished four strokes adrift of Oyama after her second consecutive 72 — good enough for her to leapfrog Ai Miyazato into first place in the final money rankings.

Fudo earned 8.7 million yen to increase her official earnings to 122.46 million yen, 8.1 million yen ahead of Ai Miyazato, who was absent from the season-ending 60 million yen event to play the final U.S. LPGA qualifying tournament.

Sakura Yokomine fired the day’s low of 69 and took third at 1-over 289.

Taniguchi on top

KOCHI (Kyodo) Toru Taniguchi carded a 3-under-par 69 to win his first title of the year with a two-stroke victory over Kim Jong Duck of South Korea in the Casio World Open on Sunday.

Taniguchi made five birdies, including one on the final hole following a deft bunker shot, against two bogeys as he finished the week at 11-under 277 at Kochi Kuroshio Country Club.

Taniguchi, last year’s Japan Open champion, won his first title since the 2004 Bridgestone Open and pocketed prize money of 28 million yen. It was his 10th career victory on the Japanese tour.